TAKEAWAY: Advertisers like Quartz. We do too, and so seem to be those users who like news that is presented in a non traditional way and in a clean, easy to follow design.
It’s a bit of good news for Quartz the innovative news provider with lots of extras, among the most interesting one: how it breaks away from traditional news allocation patterns, opting, instead for “topics” as the main navigator.
Here is the good news:
“This quarter alone, Quartz is tracking to be up more than 400% over Q1 last year in terms of advertising revenue. Over the past year, Quartz has added more than 40 blue chip accounts to the client roster, many of whom continue to run with Quartz in the beginning of this year.”
We are happy about this news. It shows that a non-legacy, innovative approach to the presentation of news can do well in today’s highly crowded field of news aggregators.
Turn to the Quartz website and what you see is an easy to follow, rather minimalist presentation, with headlines that seduce (America’s fastest growing exports are the ones that destroy the planet), and that one with a flash line that reads Pump and Dump.
Other “topics” on this day are : Phoney Baloney (the fake iPhone), Overdrive (what could turn you into a cheater), New Tricks (leaked tape shows the US is backing Ukraine’s opposition). News was never more enticing and easy to follow. Add enjoyable.
In terms of design, it is a tribute to white space well utilized. One never feels that he is inside a floating device, yet the eye goes straight to the easy to read and well spaced text in which stories are set. The colors are muted but easy on the eyes.
Quartz is a great example of innovation and good taste.
We are happy that the audience (and the advertisers) are thinking the same.